1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for dispensing sheet-like objects, such as tickets, banknotes and like sheets from a bundle thereof, and more specifically, although not exclusively, to such an apparatus which comprises a wheel, roller, belt or like element arranged at one end of said bundle and adapted, during a dispensing operation, to remove successively the sheets from the top of said bundle one at a time and dispensing said sheets to a receiving station.
Examples of the fields in which the invention can be used include cash-registering machines, banknote-dispensing machines and like apparatus in which the correct number of banknotes, receipts or the like shall be dispensed at all times irrespective of their condition, i.e. irrespective of whether the tickets, banknotes or the like are new or old, whole or worn, thin or thick etc.
Such sheet-dispensing apparatus are known to the art. One such apparatus is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,123,355. This apparatus comprises a sheet stack support and associated members for advancing the stack of sheets to a sheet separation station, at which the sheets are separated individually by a sheet picking device and forwarded to their destination. Means are provided for gauging or sensing the level of the sheet stack, as sheets are separated therefrom by the feeding device, for actuating a drive motor in a jogging motion for driving the stack advancing means to present successive end sheets of the stack substantially at the feeding level.
One problem with this and other known apparatus is that they are not totally reliable in function and are not precise enough to be able to dispense sheets at a satisfactory speed when said sheets exhibit in perfections, such as creases, folds, buckles etc.